the Manifestation of the Son of God upon the Earth and to his Holy Institution which promotes Tender-heartedness and Pity and condemns whatever is Savage and Bloody But the Slaughter and Murder of Souls are the worst and highest Cruelty the Main Work and Business of that Implacable Enemy of Mankind Those Cursed Spirits being fallen themselves from God indeavour the Apostacy of all Mankind and this they do by drawing Men into Error and by tempting them to Sin and Wickedness They are as busy in debauching Mens Minds by Erroneous Opinions and False Doctrines as they are in any other Design and they get as much by it for by corrupting Mens Understandings and Notions they prepare the way for all other Mischiefs to ensue Heresies are of the Devil and lead to him and therefore Polycarp knew what he said when he call'd Marcion that Arch-Heretick the first-born of Satan But the inveigling to Practical Error which is no other than Vice gives him chiefly his Denomination of Tempter and consequently those who allure others to Vice those who entice them to Evil Courses are to be call'd by no softer Terms than those of Murderers and Devils for Tempting i. e. drawing others to Sin is properly the Work of the Devil this is that which he constantly practiseth and takes so much delight in But the Blessed Founder of Christianity is a Saviour and Lover of Souls who thus expostulated when he was on Earth What is a Man profited if he shall gain the whole World and lose his own Soul or what shall a Man give in exchange for his Soul This Jesus was Loving and Kind-hearted and submitted to a painful and ignominious Death to give an undeniable Demonstration of his Compassion to the Souls of Men. He ascended the Cross and shed his Blood there to convince the World how Tender he was of their Immortal Concerns and Everlasting Welfare And let me speak a Great Word He would even now leave all his Glories and die once more for Man if it were necessary for the procuring of his Happiness Lastly Carnality Lewdness and Vncleanness may fitly be stiled the Devil's Works It is well known that these prevailed even in the most Solemn Rites and Devotions of the Pagans As the Poets represent the Gods Lewd and Lascivious so the most Serious Authors tell us of the Impure and Filthy Sacrifices the Villanous and Beastly Rites performed to them They relate the Obscene Feasts of Bacchus and Priapus of Flora and Venus and acquaint us that they kept their Lupercalia or Festivals of Pan in running up and down naked behaving themselves in that lewd manner which cannot be named without injuring chaste and modest Ears Of the Eleusinian Solemnities in Honour of Ceres and Proserpina we have some Account from * Adv. Valentin Tertullian and the Religious Ceremonies of Isis were as lewd and obscene saith †De Isid. Osir. l. 1. Plutarch It is certain that Lewdness and Wantonness were the very Ingredients of their Worship and their very Temples were Stews Arnobius makes it his Business in his fifth Book to shew how obscene and unchaste how immodest and shameless their Rites and Ceremonies their Stories and Relations of their Gods were In brief Vncleanness hath been so eminently confirmed to be the Work of the Devil that the Foul Fiends have sometimes assumed Bodies to act it in as ‖ S. Augustin de civ Dei lib. 15. Bodin contr Wier some have thought But Christ coming in the Flesh destroyed even the Deeds of the Flesh he chose to be born of a Pure Virgin that he might give a Pattern of Spotless Purity in the World and the Design of his Holy Institution was to Sanctify Mens Bodies and Souls and to fit them for the unstained Pleasures of another Life Thus I have finish'd my Task having largely and particularly shew'd you what the Works of the Devil are either such Works as are done by that Evil Spirit or such Vices and Practices in Men as more nearly approach to the Devilish Nature and Temper and I have at the same time proved that our Saviour and his Religion do overthrow and destroy these Works of the Infernal Spirit I will only add a Critical Remark on that manner of Expression in the Text 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that he may loose our English Word it is likely coming from thence or dissolve c. for that is the exact rendring of the Word This supposes Bonds and Fetters We were in Durance and Captivity we were shut and lock'd up * Isa. 42. 7. in the Prison-house we were under the Power of Satan and Dominion of Sin but the Merciful Iesus came to rescue and redeem Mankind to knock off their Fetters and to set them at Liberty For this purpose the Son of God was manifested and for this only He came not as the Iews fondly imagined concerning their Messias to be a Great Earthly Monarch to wage War and to beat the Romans out of Iudea and to make his People Rich and Wealthy and to promote them to great Honours This alas was a poor Design and not worthy of the Messias but he came to effect a thing of greater Moment even of Universal Concern and that which is more Noble and Glorious than all Worldly Empire and Soveraignty He came to free his People from the Tyranny of Satan to vanquish the Prince of Darkness who had enslaved all Mankind Or this Word gives us a true Notion of our Saviour's Design thus The Devil had corrupted Man had been the great Instrument at first of depraving his very Nature and ever since he hath made it his Work to debauch Mens Minds and Manners and by all ways imaginable to render them like unto himself Hereupon the Son of God was sent 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that he might dissolve defeat undo these Works of the Devil This is the short and plain Account of the Grand End of Christ's being manifested in the World of his Incarnation Doctrine Life Sufferings Death and all his Undertakings whatsoever it was no other than this to undo to annul all that the Devil had done in the World Christ's task was to pull down what Satan had built up to untie to untwist all his Knots and Intrigues to baffle all his Plots and Contrivances to unravel the Inchantments of the Evil Spirit to break the Snares of Satan and to destroy the Destroyer FINIS ERRATA PAge 3. line 27. read Iunius P. 68. l. 22. prefix the Figure 7. P. 77. l. 10. r. in the Margin 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 P. 118. towards the bottom the Parentheses are misplaced P. 127. l. 20. r. a Mem for a Teth. P. 171. l. 7. r. Nun for Caph. P. 217. l. 26. dele †P. 270. l. 8. after Writer add with others P. 272. l. 13. r. were P. 275. l. 2. after dieth make a Period P. 290. l. 13. r. signifies l. 24. for Arrows r. Rods l. 31. after Tribes add for it is certain that the Iews and other Nations mutually borrowed from one another P. 291. l. 3. after Israelites add as well as these aped them P. 318. l. 23. insert are P. 337. l. 15. r. Christianity's Books printed for Jonathan Robinson at the Golden-Lion in St. Paul's Church-Yard THE Holy Bible containing the Old Testament and the New with Annotations and parallel-Parallel-Scriptures To which is annexed The Harmony of the Gospels as also a Reduction of the Jewish Weights Coins and Measures to our English Standards And a Table of the Promises in Scripture By Samuel Clarke Synodicon in Gallia Reformata Or the Acts Decisions Decrees and Canons of those famous National Councils of the Reformed Churches in France Wherein are contained 1. A most faithful and impartial History of the Rise Growth Perfection and Decay of the Reformation in that Kingdom with its fatal Catastrophe upon the Revocation of the Edict of Nants in the Year 1685. 2. The Confession of Faith and Discipline of those Churches 3. A Collection of Speeches Letters Sacred Politicks Cases of Conscience and Controversies in Divinity determined and resolved by those grave Assemblies 4. Many excellent Expedients for preventing and healing Schisms in the Churches and for re-uniting the dismembred Body of divided Protestants 5. The Laws Government and Maintenance of their Colledges Universities and Ministers together with their Exercise of Discipline upon Delinquent Ministers and Church-members 6. A Record of very many illustrious Events of Divine Providence relating to those Churches The whole collected and composed out of Original Manuscript Acts of those Renowned Synods A Work never before extant in any Language In two Volumes By Iohn Quick Books printed for Jonathan Robinson at the Golden-Lion and John Wyat at the Rose in St. Paul's Churchâ—Yard A Practical Exposition on the Ten Commandments with other Sermons By the Right Reverend Father in God Ezekiel Hopkins late Lord Bishop of London-Derry An Enquiry into the Constitution Discipline Unity and Worship of the Primitive Church that flourished within the first three hundred Years after Christ. Faithfully Collected out of the Extant Writings of those Ages By an impartial Hand In two Parts Books printed for John Everingham at the Star in Ludgate-street near the West end of St. Paul's Church-Yard MIscellaneous Essays By Monsieur St. Euremont Translated out of French With a Character by a Person of Honour here in England By Mr. Dryden The Divine Art of Prayer Containing the most proper Rules to pray well With divers Meditations and Prayers sutâ—ble to the Necessities of Christians useful in every Family To which are annexed seasonable Prayers for Souldiers both in their Majesties Army and Fleet. Monarchia Microcosmi The Origine Vicissitudes and Period of Vital Government in Man For a further Discovery of Diseases incident to Humane Nature By Everard Maynwaring M. D. Books printed for John Wyat. THE Christian Virtuoso shewing That by being addicted to Experimental Philosophy a Man is rather Assisted than Indisposed to be a Good Christian. By the Honourable Robert Boyle Esq Experimenta Observationes Physicae Wherein are briefly treated of several Subjects relating to Natural Philosophy in an experimental way To which is added A small Collection of strange Reports By the same Author
well as of the thing which is before us The former of these which is the word in the Teâ—e is alâ—ays taken in a bad Sense but the latâ—â—er is generally understood in a good and 〈◊〉 one and simply and 〈…〉 any thing that is set apart dedicated to a Deity devoted to the Honour of God or of the Gods for this word is used by Prophane as well as Sacred Writers As this is the Acception of the word in the best Classical Authors which none will deny that are acquainted with them so this is the use of it in St. Luke 21. 5. Some spake of the Temple how it was adorned with goodly Stones and Gifts 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 i. e. with Presents and Oblations brought to that Holy Building and there bestowed toward the Beautifying and Enriching of it not without some Relation certainly of Devotion and Reverence to the Lord of that House And all Gifts and Presents whatsoever that are consecrated to God are called by this name and accordingly the usual rendring of 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is donarium or donum a Gift consecrated to God for 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is reponere sursum ponere attollere suspendere and thence is very appositely applied to these Sacred Gifts which being * Inde apud Platon Polit 2. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 apud Herodian 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 offered to God were laid up and hung up in the Temple for the Service and Honour of the Numen to which they were dedicated And here let me have leave to offer my Conjecture which is this That the Greeks giving that name 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to those Gifts which were thus Consecrated is an Allusion to the Hebrew name which that kind of Holy Presents hath in the Old Testament and which was given to it by God himself as in many things it might be proved that the Pro phane Grecians borrowed from the Sacred Book This sort of Gifts was stiled Terumah from 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 elevatus exaltatus fuit which we translate an * Numb 15. 19. 18. 24. Heave-offering because it was heaved or lifted up before the Lord. And with this is joyned Tenuphah another Holy Oblation which owes its Original to the Verb 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which signifies to shake and move to and fro as well as to elevate and thence that sort of Present is called a * Lev. 7. 30. 8. 27. Wave-offering it being the particular usage it seems at the tendring of it not only to lift it up which was the main thing but to wave it Now to this lifting up whence Terumah more signally had its name and was properly an Oblation lifted up 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 among the Greeks exactly answers and according to the forementioned Theme whence 't is derived may be rightly rendred donum elevatum or suspensum In the Pagan Devotions 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 were such Presents as were bestowed on the Gods and set up on some high and eminent place as generally upon the Walls and Pillars of their Temples This is well observed by a †Salmas in Solinum Learned Critick who tells us that Not all those Gifts which were dedicated to the Gods were called by the Grecians 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 but those only which could be hung up or set upon some high and conspicuous place And this is the true and simple Acception of this word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which is different from 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 with an Epsilon although you 'll find that several Writers observe not this difference But 't is certain that 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is of a quite contrary signification to 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 this latter denoting a Holy the former an Unholy thing or Person this signifying some thing or Person Consecrated to God that on the contrary some thing or Person Gursed of God and Man and destined to be destroyed yea sometimes it signifies the very Cursing it self as you shall hear afterwards But here it is objected that the Septuagint use the word in a good sense to signifie that which is Holy to God and dedicated to his Service as in Lev. 27. 28. where the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or devoted thing is said to be Holy unto the Lord. So in Ios. 6. 19. we read that all the Silver and Gold and Vessels of Brass and Iron that the Israelites should find in Iericho when they took it were to be consecrated or as 't is in the Original to be Holiness unto the Lord which very things have the name of 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 given them in v. 18. whence some infer that the word with an â— as well as with an â— is taken in a good sense and signifies a Sacred Gift offered to God But this is a palpable Mistake for if you consult the place in Leviticus you will find that it speaks of the Cherem properly so called the thing or Person that was devoted to utter Destruction and therefore could not be redeemed as you read there How then could this be a Gift to God how could it be an Offering consecrated to God and separated to Sacred Uses when it was uttâ—rly destroy'd But yet it may be said to be Holy to God in this sense viz. That the Destruction of it which was appointed and commanded by God himself was for his Glory and Honour The cursing of the Canaanites the devoting them to Ruin yea and the actual Destroying of them redounded to the Honour of God whilst thereby he shewed himself the Sovereign and Absolute Disposer of the World and at the same time gave undeniable proof of his irreconcilable Hatred of all Idolatry and Idolaters Thus the Persons and things devoted to Destruction were Holy to the Lord. This is the true and genuine meaning of this place and no Man that looks into it and considers it well can interpret it otherwise And hence perhaps it is that in a remote Sense the Verb Charam and consequently the Noun Cherem may be taken as in Mic. 4. 13. to signifie Consecrating or Holy Dedication Not that the word hath any such genuine signification for it is not Charam but Kadash that is the word constantly used to denote Sanctifying or Consecrating i. e. setting a thing or Person apart to a Pious use to Gods peculiar Honour and Service I say Kadash is the proper word for this every where in the Old Testament yet because even Cursing of things or Persons is to Gods Glory and so may be said to be Holy to the Lord hence Charam and Cherem and accordingly Anathema come to have that Sense sometimes but in a very improper and forced manner The other Text in Ioshua speaks not of things that were to be destroyed but to be preserved and therefore it is added there they shall come into the Treasury of the Lord and consequently they are said to be Holiness unto the Lord. But this is Foreign
by these latter Talisman * Selden de Dis Syr. 1. Syntag. made at a certain time when they knew such Stars and Constellations were most active The Diabolick Spirits entred at such a time into these Images these Teraphim and possessed them as they used to take possession of Humane Bodies and by them and in them they spoke and moved and acted and did strange Feats and gave Answers to those that enquired of them so that they may be said to be the Devil's Oracles These Images were very early in the World if we may credit the †Zoar c. Jewish Writers who tell us that they were used by the profligate Sinners that lived about the time of the Flood and afterwards by the Babel-builders But this we are sure of that these Magical Instruments were made use of by the King of Babylon and that they were consulted by him in the way of Divination under which Notion I have considered them at present Thirdly He looked into the Liver or the Heart for the word Cabed signifies both and thence this sort of Augur is stiled Roeh baccabed by the Jewish Masters an Inspector into those parts of Animals whereby we are to understand that common kind of Divination used by all the Pagans especially the Romans who perhaps had it from the Chaldeans viz. the looking into the Entrails of Beasts that were to be sacrificed and from that Critical Inspection guessing at what should come to pass These were the three sorts of Divination which Nebuchadnezzar applied himself to upon so great an Emergency and besides these there was an incredible number more which the Pagan Nations i. e. almost all the World addicted themselves to But indeed the Divination by the Fowls of the Air was of the greatest account for it was believ'd by the Vulgar that * Nam Dîs ut proxima quaeque Nunc pennâ veros nunc datis ore sonos Ovid. Fast. l. 5. these were well acquainted with the Gods and knew their Minds better than other Creatures by reason of their greater nearness to them I will produce some particular Instances of this their Superstition which consisted in Auguries and Auspicies i. e. taking those words strictly divining by Birds foretelling by the flying or sitting or feeding or by the Voices of these Creatures things that should happen afterwards Thus * Homer 11. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Calchas from the number of Sparrows which he saw foretold how many Years the Trojan War was to last The Swallows that were seen by Darius when he was in his Expedition against the Scythians were look'd upon as an Unlucky Auspice and presaged his Death Alexander the Great was assured by his Augur of a Victory before the Battel from the flight of an Eagle †Varro Ennius Vectius a famous Augur from the Vultures that appeared to Romulus gathered that the Roman Empire should last twelve hundred Years ‖ Plin. Nat. Hist. l. 10. c. 21. The crowing of Cocks was Auspicious and presaged Victory to the Boetii against the Lacedemonians So likewise Themistocles's Army were assured of Conquest by the fortunate Crowing of those Animals But the fightings of Cocks it seems were an ill Omen and * 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Artemidor l. 3. c. 5. foretold Seditions and Civil Wars The Bees that were seen on the Altar before the Fight at Pharsalia were reckon'd Unfortunate and portended Pompey's fatal Overthrow Several other Signs and Omens Good and Bad as they accounted them and verily believed them to be were frequent among the Heathens and they were strangely affrighted or encouraged by them both in their Journeys and at Home Augustus Caesar was a Great Observer of these as a †Sueâ—on in Oâ—tavio cap. 92. Credible Author informs us and therefore I will mention one pretty Passage that concerns him ‖ Idem cap. 96. When he was upon his March to Actium and prepar'd to engage the Enemy there met him an Ass with the Owner of it the Name of the former for it seems Asses had their Names then was Nicon which signified a Conqueror and the latter's Name was Eutychus the import of which was Fortunate Hereupon the Emperor took the Omen to be good and promis'd himself Victory and after the Victory he call'd the Place Nicopolis and the Image of an Ass was set up in the Temple there in remembrance of the Happy Omen I might add that Sneezing was accounted a Sacred Sign and was call'd so by some of the * Hom. Odyss 6. Aristot. de Hist. Nat. Plutarch vit Homeri best Pagan Writers and that it was held one of the Greatest Omens either for Good or Evil according to its Circumstances by the generality of the deluded World Thus forsooth Sneezing †Plin. Nat. Hist. l. 28. c. 2. in the Morning was held Unlucky but at Noon or afterwards it was thought to be of another Nature If it was heard from the left hand it was doom'd Unfortunate but not so on the Right wherefore from this latter it was that Themistocles and Xenophon two great Warriors took their Omen of Success the ‖ Plut. in vitaâ Themistoel one was encouraged by it to fight the Enemy the * Xenoph. Hist. l. 6. other was chosen Commander of the Army by it To speak more generally viz. of the whole Set of Pagan Divinations and Auguries they were look'd upon as Certain and Undoubted Prognosticks of Future Occurrences Whenever they busied themselves about the flight and chattering and the pecking of Birds and made inquiry into the Intrails of slain Beasts or used any other way of Divining they were so besotted as to think that they could thence infallibly foretel Futurities To which purpose there was a particular Office and College of Augurs who though their Name be from one Species only were skilful in the whole Art of Divination and interpreted all the Signs of the Gods as they call'd them So great Reverence was paid to this Art that * Nè quid inauguratò faciunto Lex Papir Auspiciis hanc urbem conditam esse auspiciis bello ac pace domi militiaeque omnia geri quis est qui ignoret Liv. lib. 6. c. 41. nothing was done at Home or Abroad without it The old Romans could neither create Magistrates nor make Laws without the Presence and Approbation of the Augurs as is clear from Tully's Books of Laws Ave sinistrâ populi magister esto was a Law of the Twelve Tables by virtue of which all Offices and Places were disposed by Augury Hence we are told that some †A. Gell. l. 13. c. 14. Magistrates were reputed and stiled Greater and some Lesser because the one was created with Greater and the other with Lesser Auguries We read likewise that the Lacedemonian Kings admitted Augurs into their Councils and constantly advised with them Yea among the Persians and Parthians of old their Kings and Greatest Princes were skill'd in Augury for they thought
own the Author of Christianity who was the Cause of this and Gâ—â—â—ter Wonders in that Age. This Writer will have the Cessation of Oracles to be the Effâ—ct of Natural Causes much after the rate of Tully in his Book of Divination who imputes it to the Earth become Old so that the Fatidick Virtue was worn out through length of Time As we see saith he many Rivers are dried up and turn'd into another Course for the same Cause Just so Plutarch Philosophizeth The Oracles saith he depended upon the Nature of the Soil that is a particular sort of Ground in those Parts sent up a particular sort of Vapours and Exhalations which with their Steam affected the Priests Brains and Spirits and so moved them to prophesy and made them capable of giving Answers concerning Future Events to those that came to consult them But after a long time this peculiar Quality and Temperament of the Earth vanished and could not any longer supply the Priests with such a sort of Vapours as would cause Predictions and so farewel Oracles A very goodly Account you 'l say especially from one of Great Learning This is Vain Philosophy indeed but let us not upbraid Him but bless God in behalf of our selves that we have attained to greater Light and Knowledg and are acquainted with the True Causes of things and are assured that those Oracles were Cheats and Delusions of the Prince of Darkness and in plain terms that they were the Works of the Devil and therefore it was no wonder that they were destroyed by Him who was manifested for that very Purpose But that which I alledg this Writer for is this that you may be satisfied from him of the Matter of Fact and be throughly convinced that things did really happen according to our Saviour's Design and that these Works of the Devil were destroyed Accordingly therefore this Author tells us that in his Time the Oracles generally were cashier'd Indeed the Pythian Oracle would now and then tattle a little but very sorry Stuff it was he saith and it was * 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in Prose The Oracular Daemons could not afford it seems to versify as they had done before the Vein of Poetry flagg'd And in Boeotia a Country which before swarm'd with Oracles there was he saith but a single One left Those that would be farther satisfied in this Matter may consult †Praepar Evang. lib. 4 5. Eusebius who hath fully treated of this Theme shewing not only the Vanity and Falshood of the Oracles but particularly relating how they ceas'd at Christ's Coming this being so largely handled by him I remit the Reader thither And now I might observe concerning these Oracles as I did before of the Superstitious Divinations that many of the bravest and wisest Heathens cared not for them but manifestly slighted and jeer'd them as ‖ Plutarch de Herodoto Demosthenes could say the Delphick Oracle did 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 had learnâ—d to favour Phiâ—ip King of Macedon that is as much as to say they were Arrant Cheats for the Devil could Cheat and Flatter as well as the Priests they could be corrupted with Gold and take what pâ—rt they pleas'd The People began at last to see through these Impostures and consequently their regard to them was considerably abated They arrived to this Notion which Minutius Felix insists upon that the Observers of these Oracles were not successful and the Despisers of them prospered They found out at length the Reason why Apollo gave such Dark and Ambiguous Answers why they were deliver'd by the Priests mutteringly and with a low Voice so as not to be perfectly heard namely because by this means they could best salve their Cheating and the Enquirers should not be able to know whether they spoke Truth or Falshood For these Reasons Apollo was Sirnamed 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 because he oftentimes put them off with Oblique and Doubtful Responses for the Devil in these Oracles of Old professedly Equivocated and plaid the Iesuit betimes I could set before you what the brave Cato thought of these Oracles as he is represented in Lucan I might transcribe a great part of Tully's second Book of Divination which discovers the Vanities of these Responses and proves them to be meer Gulls But you know my Business at present is to evince and I hope I have done it sufficiently that these Lying Oracles were confuted at last by a Greater than Cato or Tully even Christ Iesus our Lord. It is a known but remarkable Passage in Plutarch that the Daemons complain'd aloud that their Great God Pan was dead That was the lamentable Voice which was heard in the Grecian Sea in Tiberius's Reign when our Saviour was Crucified Then Christ through Death destroyed him who had the Power of Death the Devil then the Prince of this World was judged then our Saviour having spoiled Principalities and Powers on the Cross triumphed over them in it No wonder then that the Cursed Daemons howled and lamented when they saw their Kingdom was shaken and began to fail when they experimentally found that He who cried with a loud Voice on the Cross had drowned the Noise of their Juggling Oracles And in a short time as Other Writers will inform us this Diabolical Trade was clearly put down in the most considerable Countries of the World which we must attribute to the sole Power and Soveraignty of that Jesus who came to destroy the Works of the Devil Thirdly I understand by these Works the Diabolical Obsessions of Mens Bodies which our Saviâ—ur did actually defeat and destroy when he ejected the Evil Spirits out of those poor Wretches who were thus possessed by them It is evident that at the time when Christ was on Eaâ—th gâ—eat Numbers of Persons laboured under this grievous Calamity and we do not read that at any other Seasâ—n such numeâ—ous Legions of them molested Mankind But the Evangelists acquaint us that our Lord did frequently rescue the Bodies of the Possessed from the Power and Dominion of those Fâ—ul Fiends For though the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 so often used in the Gospels may perhaps not be understood in the rigour of it in every place for Lunaticks and Epileptick Persons when they were extraordinarily distempered were said by the Iews to be possessed with an Evil Spirit and in this kind was Saul troubled say the Jewish Doctors yet the Relation which those Inspired Pen-men give of the Formal and Solemn Casting out of Devils by our Saviour is a sufficient Proof to any observing Person that if not all yet most of those who are call'd 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 were really Possessed For tho that Man who is stiled a Demoniack in Luke 9. 39. is said 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to be a Lunatick in Matth. 17. 15. yet all that can be gathered thence is that this Man and those others that were possess'd with the Devil had Periodical Fits that they were either Epilepticks